Cool Name of the Week: Linus

Thanksgiving came late this year, which means we get a double dose of Peanuts goodness within less than a week: First the awesome, popcorn-and-jellybeans Thanksgiving feast, then my favorite, the Christmas special, with its homely little tree and the best Christmas pageant ever. (Who wouldn't love to dance like the Peanuts crew to Schroeder's jazzy tunes?) And while there's always a soft spot in my heart for Charlie Brown, brother-sister pair Lucy and Linus are my favorite characters. Lucy for her fierce, take-charge attitude (I'm definitely a Lucy at heart), and Linus for his charming pairing of the intellectual and the baby blanket.

Lucy has been a perennial favorite for girls, and is currently trending up in popularity, but poor Linus hasn't hit the top 1000 in the U.S. since way back in 1940. I think it's high time we bring it back! Linus is a Greek name that means flax, and in Greek myth, he was the man behind the creation of music. Linus has appeared in several pop culture incarnations beyond the blankie-toting Peanuts member—he was also Matt Damon's character in the Oceans movies, and Humphrey Bogart's character in the classic Sabrina. And there's a Nobel Prize winning chemist who sports the name, too.

Fortunately, other parts of the world have noticed Linus's charms—several countries place Linus in the top 50 names.